History Comes Alive!

I love history. And I love people who make it come alive for me!

Check out this website to see amazing pictures of a handcrafted model of Herod's Temple. This would be the Temple that Jesus Christ walked in and that was destroyed by Titus, the Roman general in A.D. 70.

What struck me was the creator of this masterpiece has individually crafted 32 figures of Jesus to represent different scenes in our Lord's life. Yet, he says, "no one can ever spot Him no matter how religious they are."

Reminds me of the religious leaders of Jesus' day. Even though the prophet Daniel foretold to the day the arrival of the Messiah, they missed Him.

It also reminds me of myself. Do I miss seeing Jesus in my everyday life? Does His small, still voice go unheeded in my heart? Am I too busy with the "important" things in life, that I miss Him in the lowliest and "least of these"?

Enjoy the pictures and article about this fascinating display. Field trip, anyone?

Audio Lessons and Notes

Have you missed any of Carrie's lessons for the Daniel study? You can catch up on many of them by simply going to LifeAction.org/audio and selecting the lesson you would like to listen to.

You avid note-takers will be happy to know that you may also download Carrie's note sheets for several of these lessons. Below are the available notes (Titles correspond with the titles of the audio files.) Generally you would download the Word document if you want to type out your notes; download the PDF document if you want to print off the sheet and write your notes by hand.

Here's how to download these files:

1. Click on the title you wish to download

2. If you are using Internet Explorer, the document should simply open up. If you chose the Word document, go to File-Save As to save a copy to your own computer.

3. If you are using Mozilla Firefox, a box will pop up asking you if you would like to Open or Save the file. Choose "Save," then navigate to where you saved it to open it up and begin taking notes.

Feel free to email me (lshaffertx@gmail.com) if you have any problems or questions.

Here are the notes:

Welcome to Babylon (Word document)
Welcome to Babylon (PDF document)

I Resolve (Word document)
I Resolve (PDF document)

A Dream of Darkness . . . Yet Hope (Word document)
A Dream of Darkness . . . Yet Hope (PDF document)

I Believe . . . Help My Unbelief (Word document)
I Believe . . . Help My Unbelief (PDF document)

A Dream Fulfilled (Word document)
A Dream Fulfilled (PDF document)


God bless you as you diligently study the inexhaustible riches of His Word!

Laura

Notes for Daniel 7

In case you missed the Bible study discussion on January 26 or February 2, below is a list of notes Carrie made for us to help us understand the prophecy vision of Daniel 7.

According To Daniel 7

What we know has happened
• Babylonian Empire: 605 BC - 539 BC
• Medo – Persian Empire: 539 BC - 332 BC
• Greek Empire: 332 BC – 63 BC
• Roman Empire: 27 BC – AD 476 /1453
• Divided into two parts: 1. West: 286 – 476 2. East: 330 – 1453
• Out of this rose individual nations (in Europe/Middle East/ Africa)
• Strong Roman influence in western world (language [Latin], government]

What we know will happen on earth
• 4th Beast is different from rest: dreadful, terrifying, exceedingly strong. It crushes and tramples remainder of kingdoms
• From 4th Beast (Roman Empire) will arise 10 horns (kings/kingdoms)
• From 10 horns will arise another king/kingdom – a little horn
• That little horn will remove 3 of the original 10 kings/kingdoms
• The little horn has eyes, mouth that utters great boasts
• The little horn is larger in appearance that its associates
• The little horn speaks out against the Most High
• The little horn (anti-Christ) intends to make changes in times/law
• These are given into his hands for time, times, half a time.
• The little horn wages war with the saints, wears them down, and overpowers them UNTIL
• The Ancient of Days comes and passes judgment in favor of the saints
• The little horn (antichrist) will be slain, body destroyed, given to burning fire
• The saints will receive the kingdom and possess it forever **
• Saints will take possession of the kingdom **

What we know will happen in heaven
• Thrones will be set up
• Ancient of Days will take His seat on throne ablaze with fire (symbolizes judgment)
• River of fire (judgment) will flow out from before Him
• Thousand’s are attending Him
• The court will sit for judgment
• Books will be opened
• Son of Man will be presented before Ancient of Days
• He will be given an everlasting dominion, glory, and kingdom that will not be destroyed
• All peoples, nations, men of every language will serve Him **
• The court will take away the little horn ( antichrist’s) dominion
• Sovereignty, dominion, greatness of kingdoms given to people of the saints of the Highest One **

** Takes place in court room of Heaven , but deals with new reality on earth

Overwhelmed By The Fog... A Confession

FOG! “A mass of wet air difficult to see through.” The definition seems woefully inadequate to describe the overpowering fear of driving “blind” in the midst of a dark cloud. Familiar objects seem to disappear, distance becomes impossible to measure and time stands still as you creep through that which impairs visibility and altars the reality of all that is true in the light.

While no official fog warning has been issued, there has been a heavy fog cast over the Light of Truth in my mind this week. Listening to the evening news and hearing the heartache and struggles of some who have been personally impacted by the economy etc. created a thick mass of ….well, let’s just be honest… fear.

The reality of the present and the looming sense of the future made it difficult to see clearly in the midst of this fog. Familiar truths seemed more difficult to recall. Truths like:

The mountains might shake. The hills might be removed. But my faithful love for you will never be shaken (Isa. 54:10)

There is none like God, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in His majesty. The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms (Deut.33:26-27).

The Lord is faithful; He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one (2 Thess. 3:3).

Those truths didn’t change, but in the fog, I experienced an altered perception of them as a sense of heaviness settled in my heart. My mind, soul and body grew weary as thoughts like, “What if...” and “How will we ever…” reeled through my mind. Sleep seemed oh, so appealing; food amazingly comforting and reality… God’s reality… His Truth became increasingly impaired in my mind’s eye!

But God. Those are two of my favorite words in Scripture; often used amidst seemingly impossible situations (Gen. 8:1; Gen. 21:17; Gen. 45:7 and many others!). I was overwhelmed in “a mass of reality difficult to see through”. But God, being rich in mercy, broke through the fog by reminding me:

He is the Bright Morning Star (Rev. 22:16).

He is the One who turns darkness into light and makes rough places smooth (Is. 42:16).

He is light and in Him is no darkness at all darkness at all (1 John 1:5).

And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19).

The Morning Star rose in my heart again today! No, life’s challenges haven’t changed… but I’ve been reminded, once again, of the One who holds all things in His hand… the One with whom there is no darkness… no fog ( Ps. 139:12)!

Oh, how my heart rejoices tonight that He is a lamp unto my feet a light unto my path!

Obama Gives First Interview on Arab TV

President Obama reached out to the Muslim world Monday in an exclusive interview on Arab television network Al Arabiya.

"In all my travels throughout the Muslim world, what I've come to understand is that regardless of your faith – and America is a country of Muslims, Jews, Christians, non-believers – regardless of your faith, people all have certain common hopes and common dreams," Obama said in the wide ranging interview. Read the full transcript.

Interesting isn't it? What are your thoughts?

World Economic Forum

Watch the Forum live as 2500 heads of state, ministers, ambassadors, chairmen and chief executives from 96 countries convent to discuss the global financial meltdown in Davos, Switzerland. Russia's Primer Minister Vladimir Putin will deliver the opening address.

Black Gold In Israel

Tonight, Carrie told us about the unprecedented discovery of natural gas off the coast of Israel. She drew the parallel to Ezekiel 38 and 39. This passage is a prophecy of an attack against Israel in the last days. Ezekiel 38:10-13 tell us why they will attack:

10 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land." 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?" '

So Israel will have treasures and wealth that her enemies will lust after (in addition to their hatred for Israel.) Could this treasure be "black gold" and the wealth it gives Israel?

The Jerusalem Post states,

"If the Tamar site opposite the Haifa coast succeeds in producing the significant quantities of natural gas predicted, we are talking about a revolution which will have an impact on the Israeli economy for the coming generations," said Dan Halman, CEO of Halman-Aldubi Group. "The vast reservoir is poised to bring down electricity prices, reduce the country's dependence on gas from foreign countries, in particular from Egypt, and thereby turn Israel from a gas importer into a gas exporter."

This discovery could possibly be $15.5 billion income to Israel and could supply their oil needs for 15 years. Imagine the political and financial impact this will have in the Middle East.

Joel Rosenberg has some interesting insights on the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39 here.

Joel reminds us that it is too early to draw definite conclusions about the long-term significance of these current events. We need to keep watching and waiting and hoping for the soon return of King Jesus!